Curtain wall



July 7, 1959 E. K. Gl-:YsL-:R 2,893,522

CURTAIN WALL Filed Oct. 16, 1956 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AU 1 1 lo .15

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E. K. GEYSER July 7, 1959 CURTAIN WALL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed oct. 1e,195e IN VEN TOR.

United Statesy Patent C) CURTAIN WALL K. Geyser, Pittsburgh, Pa.,assgnor to E. K. Geyser Company, Tittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application October 16, 1956, Serial No. 616,313

'1fc'lm` "m. (Cl."1s9'34) AThis invention relates to curtain walls usedwith the framework of structural steel buildings.

It is common practice to erect a building by constructing a framework ofbeams and girders which form the skeleton ofthe building and take theloads. The skeleton'then is enclosed by walls that are hung on theoutside of the framework. Such walls are called curtain walls becausethey have nothing to do with supporting the building, but merely encloseit like a curtain. When a curtain wall is formed from metal panels andpanes of glass supported by horizontal bars attached to the outside orfront of vertical members secured to the outside of the buildingframework, the spaces between the vertical members above and below thewindows should be closed olf, for otherwise those spaces would be openfrom top to bottom of the building. In the past, it has been rathertime-consuming and expensive to do the job, because of the difliculty ofholding the necessary material in place.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a curtain wall, inwhich the spaces between its vertical supporting members can quickly andeasily be closed at predetermined levels, and in which the members thatare used for that purpose are supported to Aa large extent by thehorizontal bars that support the panels and glass panes of the wall.

In accordance with this invention the vertical panels and glass panes,which form the skin of a building of the curtain wall type, are held inplace by horizontal bars that extend across the front of verticalmembers secured t the outside of the framework of the building. Thebacks of the horizontal bars at predetermined levels are provided withhorizontal ledges. Brackets are secured to the sides of the verticalmembers and have laterally projecting members at the same levels as theledges of the bars. These ledges support the ends and front edges ofhorizontal metal plates spanning the spaces between adjacent verticalmembers. Thus, a plate may be disposed at the top of each window toclose the space between it and the adjacent edge of the ceiling, andanother plate may be disposed at the bottom of each window to form awindow stool.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary outside or front|view of my curtain wall; Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line II-II of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line III--III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line lV--IV ofFig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the framework of a building isformed in a well-known manner from steel beams 1 supported by columns 2.The beams are located at each floor level and at the roof level.Spanning the top beams 1 are the roof joists 3 for supporting the roofinsulator 4, above which is the roof itself. The

er* ice building framework is enclosed by a curtain wall which is hungfrom the beams.

The curtain wall includes laterally spaced vertical members l5, whichare connected in any suitable manner to the outside of the horizontalbeams extending along each side of the building. These vertical membersextend from top to bottom of the building, or as far as the curtainwalls extends. Their lower ends may rest on angles'6 supported bymasonry at ground level or above. These vertical members are similar inshape to I-beams, as shown in Fig. 3. That is, each has front and rearflanges joined by an intermediate web. The front ange may be thickerthan the rear ange and may be provided in its front surface with arecess 7 for receiving calking compound 8. Extending across the front ofthe vertical members at predetermined levels are horizontal bars 10,which are attached in any suitable manner to the vertical members. Thepurpose of these bars is to support the metal panels 11 and glass windowpanes 12 that enclose the steel framework. Preferably, each horizontalbar is provided with upper and lower channels 13 for receiving thepanels and glass panes and the calking compound that seals them inplace. The side edges of the glass and panels overlap the verticalmembers, but do not meet. The joint between them is calked and may becovered with a trim strip 14, which has a pair of rearwardly projectingribs that frictionally receive the front ends of pins 15 projectingforward from notches in vertical members 5 With the wall described thusfar, it will be seenthat the space between each pair of adjacentvertical members `5 would be open from top to bottom of the building,because the floors and ceilings will not extend out between them. It isthe purpose of this invention to provide means for closing that space atcertain levels. Accordingly, the horizontal bars 10 at the top andbottom of the windows are each provided with preferably a pair ofrearwardly projecting ledges 17 spaced apart vertically to form ahorizontal groove 18 between them, as shown in Fig. 4. Also, at theopposite ends of each groove there are brackets 19 secured to theadjoining vertical members l5. Each bracket is notched or recessed toreceive the flanges of the adjoining vertical member so that a verticalportion 21 of the bracket can rest at against the web of the verticalmember, to which it can be connected by screws 22. The horizontal part23 of the bracket is provided near its free side edge with a verticalstrengthening flange 24 parallel to vertical portion 21. Projectinghorizont-ally from the outer face of this flange is a ledge 26. Theportion of horizontal part 23 spaced vertically from this ledge formsanother ledge, and the space between forms a groove 27 that is locatedat the same level as groove 18 in the adjoining horizontal bar.

Consequently, there is -a front groove and a pair of end groofvesbetween each two vertical members. These grooves receive the front edgeand the opposite ends of a horizontal metal plate Z8 which spans thespace between the opposed brackets 19. The rear edge of the plateprojects behind the brackets and is bent to form a vertical flange 29that stiifens the plate. Although only the lower ledges are necessaryfor supporting the plate, the use of upper ledges too is preferredbecause they cover the edges of the plate and keep it from tilting up,and also because the can serve as lower supporting ledges when thebrackets are inverted as shown at the top of the window in Fig. 2. Theplate at the top of each window closes the space between the ceiling 30and the horizontal bar 10 at the same level. The plate at the bottom ofthe window forms a stool. The space inside the building between the rearflange of the stool and the underlying oor can be closed and finished inany desired manner.

It will be seen that with this invention it is a simple matter to closeolf the space between any pair of vertical members 5 by merely sliding ametal plate 28 into grooves 18 and 27. Grooves 18 are'located inhorizontal bars 10, which have'to be install-ed anyway, and brackets-19, containing grooves 27, are easy to fasten to the vertical memberswherever desired.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple of my invention and have illustrated and described what I nowconsider to represent Vits best embodiment. However, I desire to have itunderstood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated anddescribed.

I claim:

In a building, a building framework, a plurality of laterally spacedvertical curtain wall members secured to the outside of said framework,a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal members extending across thefront of the vertical members and secured thereto, the horizontalmembers being spaced from the framework by said vertical members andbeing provided with upper and lower channels for holding the tops andbottoms of vertical panels and glass panes to enclose the verticalmembers and framework, horizontal metal plates at predetermined levelsprojecting rearwardly between the vertical members from the back of thehorizontal members to the framework, the back of the horizontal membersbeing provided with rearwardly opening horizontally extending groovesreceiving the front edges of said plates, and brackets secured to thesides of the vertical members at said levels and forming laterallyopening horizontal grooves receiving the ends of said plates, wherebythe space between said vertical members at said levels is 'closed by thebrackets and plates.

References Cited in the le -of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,420,099 Hauser June 20, 1922 1,605,597 Long Nov. 2, 1926 2,351,127Hodson June 13, 1944 2,574,641 Herron Nov. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS647,503 Great Britain Dec. 13, 1950 742,827 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1956857,437 Germany Nov. 27, 1952

